‘Just heard like two big pop pops’: Two men arrested after road rage shooting in Port St. Lucie
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —
Two men were arrested after a road rage incident escalated into a shooting near Southwest California Boulevard and Southwest Brevity Terrace.
Neighbors reported hearing gunfire at approximately 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
“OK, last night we were trying to put the kids down, and we just heard like two big pop pops,” resident Ripley Crawford said. “All we saw was the cars were kind of already pulled to the side, and you could see there was like a crash of sorts.”
The Port St. Lucie Police Department determined the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding between two drivers following a lane change and merging near Southwest Crosstown Parkway. One driver believed he was being followed after the vehicles crossed paths, but investigators found no intentional following.
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Road rage incident in Port St. Lucie.
One of the drivers, 57-year-old Tylon Kukielka, was traveling with his girlfriend to her home after visiting a local restaurant. The other driver, 41-year-old Dean Plotts, happened to be traveling in the same direction and onto the same streets.
As the vehicles continued, the situation escalated into a physical confrontation near SW Brevity Terrace. During the altercation, Kukielka fired a handgun, striking Plotts twice.
A St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office deputy traveling on SW California Boulevard observed the incident and detained Kukielka.
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Later that night, traffic was rerouted as investigators gathered evidence at the scene.
“The traffic was just nonstop because they closed California. My neighbor got a call from her daughter in Tennessee that said there was a shooting down here,” resident Ernie Lampreda said.
Plotts sustained gunshot wounds to his left wrist and legs and was taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital for treatment. Kukielka was also transported for medical evaluation.
Detectives responded to the scene and collected evidence, including shell casings, surveillance video, and dash cam footage that captured portions of the incident.
Based on the evidence, witness information, and statements obtained during the investigation, detectives determined there was probable cause to charge Kukielka with attempted homicide – murder, dangerous depraved without premeditation, a first-degree felony under Florida Statute 782.04(2).
Detectives also determined there was probable cause to charge Plotts with burglary with assault or battery, a felony under Florida Statute 810.02(2)(a).
Both men were taken into custody, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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